Beyond the Horizon
by AnAdorableDragon
Summary: Hiccup had known for the longest time that he did not belong on Berk. So he left, in sorrow yet in peace. Determined to master his own destiny and craft his own fate, as he and Toothless soar beyond the horizon, Hiccup finally discovers who he truly is, and what the future holds for him.
1. Chapter 1-Storm

Just fifteen minutes ago, the bright and luminescent moon was still hovering about the tranquil night sky. Now, the rain was pouring and streaks of white flashed every 5 seconds. It seemed as though the gods above were having a war. Probably Thor and Loki again. At least, that was what the superstitious Vikings would have thought. Hell, they would even have thought the thunder rumbles were the gods' bellows. The intimidatingly dark storm clouds, which had seemingly swallowed the round moon whole, spread out over the sky above the mostly asleep island of Berk. Mostly asleep, because while the normal Viking was busy snoring away and dreaming about killing dragons in their sleep, there was always Hiccup. The little Haddock lay on his bed, drowned in his sorrows and worries. The storm was nothing compared to the turmoil he was experiencing inside.

How desperately had Hiccup wanted to fit in. How desperately had he wanted to hear one, just one, word of praise from his own father. How desperately had he wanted to join his friends in their games...no, scratch that. He simply wanted to be treated equally, and not be trampled on all the time as if he was some puny ant. At an age of 13 years, he was at least a head shorter than all his other "friends". His legs were thinner than the arms of Snotlout. Another thing he never ever told anyone: for as long as he could remember, he had had a deep crush on Astrid, the finest teenage warrior on Berk. He had given up dreaming, that Astrid felt the same way towards him, a long time ago. He now just wanted Astrid to at least notice him and not treat him like dirt. Was all these too much to ask? Many a times, Hiccup wonders what atrocities he had committed in his past life to deserve such mistreatment. Hiccup never had the chance to add "childhood" into his list of vocabulary.

That said, his definition of Astrid was "Beautiful and amazing crush who will never notice me". What of the others? Snotlout was "Big bully who is the living epitome of devil"; the twins were "Torturers sent from hell to torment him". Fishlegs was, well, "An ex-friend". When Hiccup was younger, they used to best buddies. As they matured, Fishlegs started mingling with the rest and slowly begun ignoring Hiccup. He could never forget what had happened the one day when he snuck into the woods, wanting to play with his counterparts. That was when everything changed.

"Can I play with you guys, please?" Hiccup remembered himself asking.

"What do you think?" came the harsh reply from his cousin Snotlout. "NO! Of course not! Get lost now!" He bellowed.

Hiccup was taken aback. "But..but I just want to play. Why do you hate me so much?" He could feel his eyes starting to get wet.

"No means no, Useless. No one likes you so no one wants to play with you. Simple." A few cackles could be heard coming from the twins.

Hiccup was stunned. Useless? Was that his new title now? Every Viking had a title, such as his father Stoick the Vast. Hiccup the Useless? No, Hiccup could not live with that. "No, I'm not useless!"

"Then what are you? Oh yeah, I know! Weak, puny, scaredy-cat, cry-baby..and useless." Snotlout smirked. "Get lost now. Move, or you'll be moved."

Hiccup couldn't breathe. He always knew he was not very popular or welcomed. But he never thought that they despised him to the core. Like this.

"No," came his shaky reply. He was trembling, not sure if it was due to rage, horror or fear.

Punches after punches landed on him. He did not even have time to yelp or shriek. It was Snotlout at first, but the twins joined in shortly. As he curled into a ball on the ground and shook uncontrollably, he risked a glance up and saw Fishlegs just standing by. "Hel..help me." He cried out coarsely. No help came. At that instant, he wasn't sure which hurt more: His bullies' blows, or seeing himself betrayed by the only friend he had ever known.

That was the first time Hiccup was physically bullied. After that, as though Snotlout and the twins found pleasure in doing this, the bullying never stopped. In fact, it just got worse. Did his father, Stoick the Vast not know about this? Actually, he did. He was always embarrassed by how weak Hiccup was, and felt that this would help toughen his son significantly. This boldened Snotlout. From then on, the poor little Haddock could not live a single day without fear. Sometimes, the verbal assaults were worse, and hurt way more. Things said to him, such as "You can't do a single thing right" had absolutely decimated whatever confidence left in him. At times, even Astrid would join in scolding him and making him feel terrible. To Hiccup, the words that left Astrid's mouth hurt twice as much. To a certain extent, saying he couldn't do anything right was not true. Hiccup was extremely bright and intelligent, at least thrice more so as compared to his fellow Vikings. He was a great blacksmith, learning quickly from Gobber the Belch and discovering new methods which even Gobber did not know of. Hiccup could fix anything, and could build anything. He was truly talented in this aspect, but was just too blinded by sorrow to see that.

That was also when his view of this world had changed. He used to be an optimistic and cheerful boy. By now, he was seeing the world as though it was full of pure evil. Nothing was good in this world. Not even his father. Whenever he made eye contact with the chief, he could only see rage and disappointment. He loved his father deeply, especially after the departure of his mother Valka. Alas, Stoick never realized that. To Hiccup, the only goodness came from Gobber the Belch. He was the figure closest to a father Hiccup had ever known. When the tormenting got so bad, Hiccup could only seek shelter in his little room within the forge. Gobber would chase his bullies away, and sometimes also offer him some words of consolation while Hiccup cried his eyes dry. For this, Hiccup was eternally grateful towards Gobber. To a certain extent, Hiccup would have ended his own life, if not for such remaining goodness in it. Despite personally experiencing so much pain and trauma, Hiccup's heart was still brimming with kindness. Despite his pessimism towards life, he was still a good person. It was not easy to achieve this, especially when looking at how unfair life had been to him. For this, he truly deserved respect. Perhaps it was this period of torment, which had made him resolved to make sure that no one else is put through this much unnecessary suffering. Such mentality would see Hiccup go far, further than any of his friends.


	2. Chapter 2-Haven

**Chapter 2: Haven**

 _Hey everyone :) My extreme apologies for the long delay. Right now I upload immediately once I finish writing that chapter. I promise you all that I will upload one chapter each week but sometimes if things really get busy, I may ask for two weeks :) With that, enjoy.'=_

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Hiccup woke with a start. The chief's spacious house was deathly silent, except for a few occasionally dripping of water from the roof, with courtesy of the previous night's storm. That meant his father was out. His father, despite being chief, is not a morning person. And that meant two things. One, Hiccup had woken up late. Very late. Two, if did not want to get berated by Gobber again, he had better rush to the forge right at that very instant.

Sprinting out of the front door and down the path leading to the forge, he did not even had the time to react as he tripped over something hard and fell to the ground with a "Oof!"

"Hey, useless! Watch where you're going or else you'll get it next time! My fist, your face!" sneered Snotlout.

"Yeah, I mean gosh even your eyes are useless now." added Tuffnut with a snigger. Hiccup, amidst the anger and fear, internally face palmed himself. Of course it was them, and of course it was Snotlout's foot that tripped him.. Over the past two years, the Snotnuts (they coined that term themselves) had found immense pleasure building their happiness upon his defenceless self. The bullying, physical and verbal, never stopped. Hiccup was never one to hold grudges, and over time he got used to all the taunts and torture. His mind had constructed an impressive shield.

During this time, Fishlegs tried his utmost best pretending he didn't see or hear anything (as usual). Astrid, well.. She always carries herself with pride. Too much pride. She always saw herself above anyone else, and did not want to waste a single second on those she deem "unimportant". Other than occasional insults flung at Hiccup, she never cared much.

Hiccup kept his gaze glued to the ground. Only after the trio walked off, chuckling heartily, did he stand up shakily, brushing off the dirt and mud (courtesy of the storm once again) He steered himself towards the forge and thought, oh joy, just another day in paradise.

To Hiccup, the forge was like his little paradise. Ever since Gobber had made it clear that he did not want a single nosy teen in his forge, Hiccup's bullies dared not set foot within this area. Hiccup had a small little room at the back, solely for him. There, he explored and worked on all sorts of projects, ranging from new machinery to weaponry. He let his creativity run wild, transferring them through his paintbrushes and chalk onto parchments and parchments of art. No one ever knew what was in there, not even Gobber, who offered him due privacy.

The absence of an half-hearted angry holler meant Gobber was not in. That didn't mean Hiccup couldn't manage himself. He was great with weapons and machinery-only limited in terms of blacksmithing. He had been Gobber's apprentice ever since he was little, well, little-er. No one gave him credit for this, but he had almost surpassed Gobber's skills. A quick learner with such a high intelligence, Hiccup had many talents, however shrouded to others by his incompetence in physical warfare.

Hiccup sighed as he picked through the pile of weapons that needed fixing. Easy, he thought, but tedious. He couldn't wait to finish them quickly so he could work on his personal projects. He had some really good plans in mind. One particular weapon caught his eye. An axe with a yellowish-brown handle, and a blunt edge. Astrid's axe. Almost instinctively, he picked it up, weighing it in his hands.

He had given up on hopelessly pursuing his crush, but that didn't stop him from admiring her. Although the issue was with just the blunt knife edge that needed some severe sharpening, Hiccup decided to put in some extra effort into it. Reinforcing the piece connecting the axe head to the shaft, he welded an extra layer of strong steel onto it. By the time he was done sharpening it, carving in beautiful runes on the handles, the axe was as good as new. Admiring his proud handiwork, he didn't even realise how much time has passed.

He quickly finished up the other jobs quickly and skilfully, once again displaying his mastery in the forge, then made a beeline straight for his little room.

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 _Let me know what you think! Follow, favourite and review! :D_


	3. Chapter 3-Target

**Chapter 3-Target**

 _Hey guys! So sorry for the delay! Encountered a slight block and had a busy schedule. It's better now :) Thank you for your patience, and enjoy!_

Entering his small haven, Hiccup closed the door behind him, locking it as usual. He gazed around and sighed happily. He really loved this room, even more so than his bedroom. It contained all his blood, sweat and tears. Several prototype blueprints littered the floor, countless sketches ranging from weaponry designs to Astrid decorated his workbench. That was not even his favourite part of the room yet. Unveiling a dusty curtain, Hiccup revealed a single machine. His proudest work.

It was a large bola caster, even larger and taller than himself. Built over a span of one year, the bola caster is modelled after the design of a catapult. Of course, Hiccup had made his own tweaks, finding ways to ensure aim, accuracy and improving calibrations. With a grunt, Hiccup dragged out the bola caster to examine it more closely. He had made it such that the bola fired from the contraption is capable of bringing down a large sized dragon, even a Monstrous Nightmare. Placing his palm on the wood of his masterpiece, he took a deep breath and recalled the origin of his machine. It was after yet another dragon raid. Hiccup obviously did not mean to cause any extra damage, but it just happened that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. The result? Showers and showers of insult from the people. His OWN people.

Curses and blames came unfiltered, and poor young Hiccup just had to brave it while controlling his very best not to let his emotions overcome him. He knew that would only end in more mockery. "Useless!" "Ye, what a burden. Why can't HE be the one eaten by dragons, eh?" "Good riddance if tha happens. We won't miss him!" Those were considered the better comments. Because of the events on that day, Hiccup had a conviction. He would be useful to his village, useful in the Great War against the dragons. Honestly, he hated the idea of violence, absolutely hated it to the core. It pains him every single time a casualty occurs, no matter which side it was; Dragons or Vikings, he didn't want anyone to be harmed. He never understood why they fight, why one can't live while the other breathes. He often found himself wondering how it would be like if one day, dragons and Vikings could live in peace and harmony. One day, he vowed that he would find out.

Nevertheless, Hiccup felt a small sense of duty towards his island folk, which may have stemmed from the fact that he was the chief's son. Determined to help, yet knowing that his weak bare self was of no good, the idea of his machine was born. He had devoted an infinite amount of blood and sweat to the production of his weapon. At last, after a gruelling 2 years, it had finally been completed 2 weeks ago. If all goes according to plan, the bola caster, capable of firing a high-velocity projectile to ensnare the targeted dragon, would be able to down a dragon easily. Down a dragon, not kill it. Hiccup refused to let dragon blood stain his hands. He planned to help trap dragons, and when that is done he would just turn away and let someone else do the killing.

Sighing happily once more, Hiccup pushed the contraption back to its concealed spot and relaxed on his chair. No one knew of its existence, for Hiccup knew with certainty that once his "friends" found out about it, it would be splintered in no time. Now, Hiccup just had to wait for his chance to shine, his chance to change everyone's view of him, his chance to change his life.

Hiccup woke with a start. He had dozed off accidentally on his chair in the afternoon, and by now it was already nightfall. That was not what woke him up. There was chaos outside and shouting all over the place. Through his small window, Hiccup could see orange glows outside. "DRAGONS! Defend yourselves!" Someone outside hollered. Hiccup's heart pounded wildly. Should he do it? Risk his life, dash outside and test out his weapon? He was in a dilemma, adrenaline and fear clashing head to head. Just then, a mighty high-pitched whistle reverberated through the air and was heard above all the noise, signalling it's terrifying presence. The Night Fury.

The Night Fury rarely attacked the village. Even during the few times it did, it never stole food, never killed, and never missed. Legend says that it is the very offspring of lightning and death itself. No one has ever seen a Night Fury before, at least, no one alive. Hiccup's breathing hitched. That was his golden opportunity. To take down the Night Fury was the utmost honour. No longer would he be an outcast, he would become the hero of the village and be listed in the Hall of Fame. All he had to do, was to shoot down the Night Fury. Not thinking twice, he dragged his bola caster out and wheeled it straight out of the door, nearly crashing into Gobber, who by then was busy sharpening weapons. Completely ignoring the questionings from him, Hiccup made a straight beeline for the tip of that cliff by the sea (save for manoeuvres here and there), where he knew he would have the clearest shot. He made have tripped one or two fellow Vikings, but Hiccup made it to the tip of the cliff. Setting up the weapon in no time, Hiccup was ready to fire.

"Come on..show yourself...give me something to shoot at" he muttered under his breath. Albeit nervous, his hands kept a steady grip on the trigger while his eyes kept a sharp gaze through the scope. He heard the whistle again. Narrowing his eyes, he made out a faint black shape against the black night sky, perfectly camouflaged except for the occasional blocked stars. There it was. Yet another torch tower erupted into brilliant orange flames and as the mighty creature sailed past, Hiccup pulled the trigger.

Time seemed to slow down as he watched the projectile sail through the air, rotating and spinning endlessly. With a loud screech, the bola had found its target. Hiccup simply could not believe his eyes. Mouth wide open, he watched as the black dragon went spiralling down until it disappeared beyond Raven Point. He had hit it! With barely any time to express his joy and triumph, he found himself running for his life from an enraged a Monstrous Nightmare in the next second. Apparently, that had caused a huge amount of damage; all the captured Nadders had escaped as the dragons made off with over two thirds of their livestock.

Hiccup looked down at his feet. The entire village's gaze was on him, with an expression Hiccup knew without needing to look up. He tried arguing that he had shot down the Night Fury, declaring that it had went down at Raven Point, but that drew only deafening chortles and plenty more insults. Simply no one believed him. Worse, he had to take responsibility for all the damage.

Hiccup could no longer take it. He sprinted back to his room and slammed the door. Collapsing onto his bed, he exploded into tears. He gave up trying.


	4. Chapter 4-Proof

_**Hey everyone! Firstly, thank you for not abandoning my story yet. Really sorry for the long wait. For the next few weeks I will update a lot more frequently, so rest assured. Without any further ado, I present to you, Chapter 4!**_

 **Chapter 4-Proof  
**  
Hey everyone! Firstly, thank you for not abandoning my story yet. Really sorry for the long wait. For the next few weeks I will update a lot more frequently, so rest assured. Without any further ado, I present to you, Chapter 4!

The one special thing about Hiccup, is that he could never truly give up trying. He never gave up in the face of adversities, even when the whole world was upon him, he would try his very best to brave it with a smiling heart. Like his many other traits, this went unappreciated. The viking society's judgement of an individual never went beyond the exterior-whether you are muscular or scrawny, decides everything. Vikings never appreciated brain, nor heart, just brawn.

Dawn came, and Hiccup awoke. He was always one of the earliest risers in his village (with rare exceptions). He adored the cool and calm of the early morning. As Hiccup lay on his bed, the first thought that came to his mind was how his entire village bore down on him the previous night. He knew he had messed up, he admitted that. At that instant, another thought surfaced. The Night Fury. No one was willing to hear him explain last night, dismissing his mighty claims of taking down the night fury as utter nonsense, as a way of finding yet another excuse for his mistakes.

Indeed, no one on Berk believed Hiccup. Indeed, they were going to continue viewing him as a useless burden, to continue mocking him. But Hiccup had other plans. He was far from fully giving up. He was determined to prove his worth. He did not need his people to listen to his words. He'll show them the proof, the proof that he had really achieved the incredible feat no Viking in the last 300 years had managed to do.

"Yes, that's right! Doesn't matter if no one believes me. I will find the downed dragon, and bring his heart to everyone, to Dad. I'm not useless, I'll show them that!" Hiccup internally exclaimed to himself with a steely determination. For a moment, Hiccup dreamily wondered how it would be like if his people knew he had shot down the night fury. He would be celebrated as a hero! Knowing that his father would never allow him to wander for fear that he would cause more ruckus and trouble, Hiccup tiptoed out of bed as he got changed, making sure to make no sound. Putting on his usual light green tunic and grey pants, he donned a leather jacket and strapped on a tiny dagger. He really did not have any other weapons. He grabbed his map from his work desk-a rough sketch of the island. When ready, Hiccup unlatched his window, lifted it up, and snuck out.

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Hiccup trudged along the forest undergrowth, occasionally ducking low to avoid any stray branches and twigs. As an hour passed, he still did not have any track. He knew he was headed in the vague direction of Raven Point, but admittedly, he was not so sure anymore. With pented up frustration, he defaced his map, which he has deemed of absolutely no use. Smacking a branch in irritation, a sharp sting on his face told him that the branch had retaliated and lashed back at him. Gazing up, Hiccup saw a tall, dried up tree trunk, which had been dissected into two jagged halves. Lightning? Impossible. Shifting his gaze back towards the ground, several foot ahead of him, was a long, obvious and jarring mud-trail down a hill. It was apparent that is had been the work of a large object.

"What could have done this?" Hiccup wondered. Cautiously, he made his way down and up the muddy and slippery trail. Peering over, he saw an ominous black shape and ducked back down lightning fast. The Night Fury. Hiccup's heart skipped several beats as he gathered the meek courage to peer over and get a closer look at the dragon. It was laying motionless, but rhythmic heaving motions of his body told Hiccup that it was well alive. Hiccup inched towards the dragon, but upon admiring his handiwork-the ropes bounding the dragon, he was rather certain it would not suddenly jump up and attacking him. Still, being in such close proximity with the offspring of lightning and death would be inadvertently unnerving.

Hiccup was proud of himself, proud that he had achieved such an incredible feat against all odds. At last, he could face his father, face his people, with his head held high. No longer would he be a disappointment. All he needed to do was to cut out the black dragon's heart and bring it to his village. Yet, as Hiccup stood before said dragon, eyes closed, hands clasping the dagger, arms holding it high above his head, he could not bring himself to bring the dagger down. He opened his eyes, gazing straight into the Night Fury's fear-filled eyes. It seemed so humane. I'm that instant, Hiccup knew that his suspicions of dragons being sentient creatures were correct.

Hiccup could not bring himself to kill the dragon. He looked into its eyes and saw himself. The same emotions, the same fear. Moreover, Hiccup had created his contraption to down the dragon, not kill it. Of course, at this point in time, Hiccup could run back to his village and get someone to come with him to kill the dragon. Yet, that would not be very wise. For one, no one would likely believe him. More importantly, it would make Hiccup appear like a coward. Most importantly, it would seal the fate of the dragon.

Hiccup found himself mindlessly working on the ropes with his knife. As he cut through the ropes securing the dragon's forelimbs, with a blur, he found himself pinned against a boulder by the very dragon's claws. Fear overwhelmed Hiccup as he faced the glare of a very angry Night Fury. Not particularly the best situation anyone would want to be in. And yet, for the very same reason as Hiccup choosing not to kill it, the Night Fury had chosen to spare Hiccup. Roaring a deafening roar in Hiccup's face, the dragon spun around and flew off with extreme unsteadiness. Hiccup, experiencing a sudden rush of adrenaline, combined with a loud ringing in his ears, collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

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From the moment Hiccup giddily regained consciousness and stumbled back to his abode, his mind had never left the Night Fury. He wondered about a million questions; why didn't it kill him? Is it truly sentient? Hiccup was dying to find out more about the night fury. He was in fact rather convinced that this dragon will no longer harm him; it would have done so earlier if he had wanted to. On the other side, the Night Fury was asking the same questions and had the same level of curiosity. Hiccup was truly a special human, he wouldn't deny that, a first of his kind, in fact. The night fury was intrigued.

And so begun a journey of an amazing friendship between dragon and man, one that was so true and pure. One that would overcome all odds to bridge the two species and possibly end the war. One that would carry on to discover the world together, to write a new chapter in the story of dragons and men. A friendship, which would be celebrated by generations and centuries to come.


	5. Chapter 5-Let's go, bud

_**Hey everyone! Thanks for the wait :) Here's the next chapter! Please follow and review!**_

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 **Chapter 5-Let's go, bud.  
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2 months had flown by since Hiccup first met Toothless, a new name he has given to his dragon friend. It belittles the night fury's ferocity and fear factor, but Toothless liked it. Hiccup liked it. The past 2 months essentially consisted of Hiccup running off to the cove in the woods every afternoon to spend time with Toothless. It was their little secretive haven. Away from his village, away from his disapproving Viking people who have shown him less respect, understanding and empathy in his entire lifetime than Toothless has in a day. Spending time with Toothless was always the highlight of Hiccup's day. At last, after 14 years of depressing life, Hiccup finally found joy in his life. When he was with Toothless, he never felt neglected, he never felt that he was not important. That said, Hiccup was nevertheless sad and regretful that he had shot down Toothless and taken away half his tail. He had tried to compensate him by building a new functional one. Toothless did not mind as much as Hiccup thought he would. Whilst losing the gift of natural flight, he had gained a precious friendship, which he desperately needed. The same applies to Hiccup. Both knew, fate on that night wanted them to meet. It was as if it's Thor's will, or possibly, a prophecy.

While the time spent with Toothless has been pure bliss, laughter and fun, Hiccup's situation in the village has taken a turn for the worse. Ever since that fateful night, during which Berk had suffered the worst ever loss in livestock, the Vikings now have nothing but pure despite and hatred for this little brat, who none of them believe is the chief's son. Hiccup could not walk down a stretch of road without anyone shooting him a death glare. When he strayed too close to a certain stall in the marketplace, the owner would chase him away threateningly, seemingly worried that Hiccup would miraculously accidentally ruin his whole stall. The chief, Stoick, could not and did not do anything about this clear discrimination towards his own son. Even he held a strong resentment towards this boy who calls him father; he often found himself ranting to the skies, asking Odin why he cursed Stoick with such a failure of a son. Why couldn't he bear a son who was as strong, big and mighty as he was? Stoick occasionally felt bad, seeing his son being hated by everyone around him. Yet, as chief, he could not put his own child before his people, that would surely draw even greater dissent. As such, poor Hiccup did not receive a single bit of kindness from his fellow humans. Not one single bit. Not from his father, not from his peers. Sometimes, Hiccup suspected, there would be more smiles on the Vikings' faces on the afternoons during which he vanished into the woods. Nobody was ever bothered by his absence. It was, after all, not difficult to tell that his entire village wanted him gone.

Those he used to call friends? Oh, even worse. Fishlegs had resorted to pretending Hiccup did not exist. Astrid, as usual, did not even bother acknowledging his presence. But the twins and Snotlout could not let go of such an opportunity so easily. They very much cared about his presence. Egged on by the Vikings, Snotlout and the twins had set out to make sure that Hiccup's life was as miserable as possible. There was literally no one left to protest and stand up against them for Hiccup, except Hiccup himself, but they could not care less. Snotlout and the twins derived a lot of enjoyment from disturbing Hiccup, and came up with all sorts of ways to make his life living hell. They became much bolder and cruel. For Hiccup, life in the village had never been worse. Each second he spent in the village would be a second of dejection, fear and sheer sadness. Every second he spent with a Toothless, however, would be a second of bliss. With Toothless, the most caring, brave and loyal dragon to ever soar the skies, Hiccup felt safe. He felt loved, recognised and important. It was as though his heart would be cut multiple times in the villages , and when with Toothless, it would be gently and delicately repaired.

Snotlout and the twins always noticed Hiccup's absence in the afternoons, as they never wanted Hiccup to hide from them. Sure, it made them feel big, powerful and scary, but they preferred spending the time dealing more fear and harm (emotional and physical alike) unto their victim. They wanted to break Hiccup. Little did they know, at this point in time, inside the seemingly weak and scrawny body of Hiccup, there was a heart, purer, stronger and braver than any of them could possibly have imagined. It would not be that easy to break Hiccup, especially with the mighty winged guardian of his watching his back. On a certain afternoon, Snotlout and Tuffnut was watching Hiccup's every move carefully. They watched, as Hiccup ducked into the forest and beyond. Waiting for a few seconds to avoid detection, they stalked him quietly, like a hunter following a prey. Of course, Hiccup was not aware. How could he be? He had yet to reach that level of expertise. Hiccup was fast. The duo almost lost him, but heaved a sigh of malicious relief as they spied Hiccup crouching on the ground, admiring a beautiful purple flower blossoming by the path. Seizing the chance, the two made their move.

Sneaking up behind the unsuspecting Hiccup, Tuffnut clamped his hand over Hiccup's mouth as Snotlout jumped in front of him and delivered a loud shout "GYAH!" followed by a swift and ruthless punch to the face, knocking him out. They gave each other a high five. "Well that was successful..what now?" asked Tuffnut. Their intelligence was truly astounding. Did they not have that planned? Snotlout pondered for a while.

"Aha! Got it." Snotlout exclaimed as he glanced at a coil of rope he happened to be holding in his hands and smiled gleefully. "Come on, help me carry him, I have an idea, but we need to find a tall and steady tree." Glancing around, the trees around were all splintered, thanks to Toothless' crash land two months ago. Snotlout then saw a tiny gap between two massive boulder hills, indicating that there was new land beyond this patch of dead trees.

"There! Let's bring him there." Snotlout pointed. One lifted Hiccup at his arms while the other grabbed his legs, as they inched past the gap. Snotlout nearly failed to fit through due to his size. The territory they had just ventured into, was in fact the sacred cove. This had been a terrible idea, as they would realise in a few minutes. Setting Hiccup down on the ground without any gentleness, they quickly bound his hands together, cinching them and looping a long rope through it. Approaching the nearest tall free they could find, using a pulley system, they hoisted Hiccup until he was hanging from a branch high above ground. Fortunately, the branch did not snap as Hiccup was relatively light. They once again chuckled gleefully and congratulated themselves for a job well done.

It was not long before Hiccup regained consciousness. He warily opened his eyes before his instincts kicked in. With panic, he realised how high above ground he was, and his instinct told him to scream. Hiccup did not fear heights, which is a granted given the numerous flights he has gone on with Toothless. Yet, who wouldn't feel fear in such a situation? "Yeah, keep screaming, scaredy-cat!" chuckled Snotlout. "There's no one here to hear you, anyway." Oh, how wrong he was. Although it was high, it was still easy to make out who the speaker was. Hiccup felt his heart clench as he realised it was Snotlout and Tuffnut. Of course, he mentally scolded himself, who else could it be?

"Snotlout, let me down right now! Or.." Hiccup had to try. He mustered whatever little courage remaining in him and shouted at Snotlout.

"Or, what?" Snotlout spat. "Who would come to save you? No one! Who cares about you? No one!" He was wrong, the correct answer should have been, no human.

"Oh no mommy, Snot..Snotlout is bullying me again, I'm so scared!" mocked Snotlout.

"Oh wait no, Snotlout you forgot! He has no mother! And guess what? His father couldn't give a damn about him! Haha.."Tuffnut had joined in the fun as well.

"Yeah, guess what, weakling," Snotlout spat, "no one in our village ever cared about you. No one did. No one ever will. They want you gone. We, want you gone. You are a nuisance, a curse, and our lives would be infinitely better without you!" Relentless words poured out of Snotlout's mouth. "Sometimes, I really do wonder, why haven't you killed yourself already? I mean, no loss right." He shrugged.

Hiccup was motionless. Every word hammered a nail into his heart. He knew that since a long time ago, but hearing these painfully sharp words himself was nonetheless different. They hurt a million times more. Hiccup wanted to just succumb to tears, to just let the water in his eyes pour out without restraint, but he knew he could not. He had to remain strong. Every tear would increase his bullies' happiness, and no, he could not let that happen. He would show them, he was not as weak as they thought. Sure enough, Hiccup did not cry.

"Snotlout, just let me go. I'll do whatever you want." Hiccup said. It was not true, but Hiccup deduced that the only way to be released was to succumb to Snotlout's ego.

"Hmm, really? Okay let's see..How about this. We'll lower you, release you, but after that, you will kneel and bow down before us, saying "Your Highness" three times while kissing our boots each time you do it. If you dare disobey and try to escape, we will pound you with our fists, deal?" Snotlout announced smugly. Hiccup felt a boiling fury replace the sense of fear. How dare he? Snotlout did not regard Hiccup as a human, and that made Hiccup immensely furious. He was in a dilemma. What should he do? What options did he have? It was only then did he realise that he was in the cove, his special haven, with his special friend. Before this, he was overly focused on his two bullies, not paying attention to his surroundings. But now, as he spied his mighty dragon at the far corner of the cove, he felt a huge surge of energy and power. A smile curled at his lips.

"Okay, listen up fellas. I will now give you five seconds to turn around and flee. If you do not comply, you will so regret it." Hiccup said smugly. Snotlout and Tuffnut turned around to face each other, before breaking out into hearty chortles. Hiccup laughed too. Alright then. Hiccup took a deep breath, braced himself, and let out the loudest bellow he could muster. "TOOTHLESS!"

Said dragon, who was curled up in a corner napping, perked up his ears as he caught the call of his dearest friend. The sharpness of a dragon's vision is not to be underestimated. Almost instantaneously, he caught sight of Hiccup and the two. Toothless felt a surge of anger as he understood what was going on. In a few mighty leaps, he was in close proximity with the three, and let loose a violet-blue plasma shot aimed four feet away from the two bullies. The impact of explosion flung Snotlout and Tuffnut to the ground. Before they could grasp what was going on, Toothless pinned both of them to the ground with his sharp claws and roared deafeningly in their faces until they turned white. "Night..night fury!" They stammered weakly, and fainted.

In no time, Toothless had cut the rope tying Hiccup and released him in one swift move. He crooned as he stared Hiccup in the eye, full of concern. Hiccup smiled weakly. "Yeah, I'm fine bud, thank you." He wrapped his arms around the dragon's scaly neck, glad to have found comfort. Whatever smugness he held a moment ago, it had all disappeared. He thought about Snotlout's words. Hearing them hurt, but knowing that they were all true hurt even more. He was not welcome in the village. His people hated him to the core. What's the point of staying there any longer? There was no love, no care, no concern. Whatever love there was lay in Toothless, and he had wings. At that instant, it dawned on Hiccup. His destiny did not lie here, not in Berk. Nothing he do will ever gain approval, trust and admiration again. No, he did not belong here. He may have been born here, but he would go elsewhere. At that instant, he made up his mind.

"Let's go, bud. They don't want us here anymore. Let's go somewhere we belong. What do you say?"


	6. Chapter 6-Departure

**Hey everyone! Happy New Year and may 2017 be a great year for all you! So so sorry for the long delay, I had to make some big changes to the story direction, I can't wait to bring to you what I have in store! Thank you for your follows, favourites and most importantly, reviews!**

 **Here's a shoutout to my dearest reviewers, who have encouraged me and inspired me to update more quickly!**

 **mc arno:** _Thank you for offering me kind words of encouragement for every chapter I upload :')_

 **lifelovelaugh:** _I don't really hate Astrid, but where I'm headed they ultimately won't end up together :)_

 ** _Hope we'll see more on the list next update! ;) Reviews can be about anything: what you liked/didn't like, advice for where my story can head, etc! Just wanna hear from you my dearest readers :)_**

 **Thank you for your patience, and here's chapter 6!**

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Hiccup has made up his mind and nothing will stop him from changing it. Together with his loyal friend and guardian Toothless, he would leave Berk and take to the skies. He would seek a life that he truly deserved to live, in a place where he truly belonged and craft his own destiny. What the gods had planned for Hiccup was far greater than he could have possibly imagined. No, Hiccup's fate was beyond the horizon. Beyond the insignificant island of Berk. Hiccup was resolved to leave behind Berk, his place of residence for the last 14 years-not a _home_ , but a residence. He was resolved to leave behind his fellow Berkians, those who have viewed him as an outcast and discriminated against him. He was resolved to leave behind his "friends", those who have shunned him and made him feel lower than dirt countless times. Earlier on, he wasn't too sure, but now he was. He was determined to leave behind his father, Stoick the Vast, who had never truly been a father to him, who had never showed him understanding, empathy and love. In Hiccup's eyes, Stoick was no father of his. Yet, Hiccup loves his father deeply, but he now sees that Stoick did not feel the same. There is no point in staying behind. The only slight reluctance lay in leaving behind Gobber, the friendly blacksmith who was the only person to ever show care towards Hiccup. For that, Hiccup would be eternally grateful. Still, there was nothing much left on Berk for Hiccup. No friendship, no love. No acceptance, no appreciation. No friends, no family.

* * *

The 14 year old sat on the small ledge overlooking the cove, where he had first discovered Toothless in the cove and done a sketch of him. Toothless lay beside Hiccup, head resting on his front paws. Smiling slightly, Hiccup reached into the pocket of his brown leather jacket, retrieving a small folded piece of parchment. Unfolding it, he smiled fondly at his doodle of Toothless. He had always kept it on him wherever he went. Especially in the village, along with a shiny obsidian scale, it was an emblem of strength for him, providing him with the comfort and courage necessary. When things got too worse in the village for him, when his people, peers and family turned their backs on him, the tokens reminded him that he still had a friend, who loved him as much as he himself loved the dragon, who had dedicated his life to protecting Hiccup and ensuring no harm-emotional or physical, befell Hiccup.

Hiccup moved his hand to rest on Toothless' neck as he shifted his gaze to take in the view before him. The cove was as beautiful as the day he discovered it. It's serenity remained pure and paradisal. Sunlight rays continued to seep through the trees and bathe the idyllic cove in a warm golden glow. The lake was still as peaceful, with occasional tiny ripples indicating the abundance of fish within it, which had been Toothless' primary source of food for the past two months. _Two months._ It has been two months since Hiccup met Toothless, yet it feels as though the duo had known each other for an entire life time. "It's so beautiful..isn't it bud?" Hiccup sighed. "I'll miss this place, our little heaven, won't you too?"

 _"Yes, I will too."_ Toothless crooned in agreement as he shifted his head and nudged Hiccup gently. Toothless understood Hiccup, and while the latter could yet understand the dragons' language, he never seemed to have any difficulty in understanding his dragon friend perfectly.

Hiccup let his mind wander to when he first stepped foot into the cove. He reminisced about how he first met Toothless, how he had become the first Viking to throw down a weapon before a dragon, how he had offered the dragon a fish and nearly vomited upon swallowing the regurgitated fish as a peace offering and how he had placed his full trust in Toothless and bonded with him, becoming the first Viking to bridge the gap between Vikings and dragons. He reminisced about how he would spend the afternoons with Toothless, be it running around, fishing in the lake, or _flying_. _Oh, flying_. Hiccup absolutely loved flying. As he and Toothless soared in the sky, weaving in and out of the soft fluffy white clouds (emerging slightly wet), Hiccup would gaze down at his village. It appeared so tiny from the skies and that made Hiccup feel superior. He felt powerful with the night fury, and in the skies? Even more so. In the skies, Hiccup felt like all the worries in the world left him. He felt happy. He felt _free_. It was just _so_ beautiful up here. With Toothless, Hiccup has seen breathtaking sunsets boasting beautiful hues of colours. He has seen spectacular Northern Lights gracefully dancing in the serene night sky. In the dark night sky, he has seen the magnificent galaxy and stars up close. In the skies, they were in their element, and they both loved it. Hiccup and Toothless both knew their fates lay not down in the human villages where neither can be appreciated, but up here, in the skies and beyond.

For the first time in a very long time, Hiccup felt happy and contented. Then he remembered that he was leaving Berk. It was the closest thing to being a home for Hiccup, yet it was still quite far off. Nevertheless, Hiccup would have wanted to stay, but it was clear that no one else wanted him to. Hiccup sighed, feeling tears well up as the bitter thoughts returned. Why couldn't _anything_ he do be _ever_ enough? Why couldn't his father love him for who he is and not treat him like a disgrace? Toothless, the ever so perceptive loyal friend, sensed his rider's distress and crooned softly, nudging and gazing at Hiccup with large dilated pupils and a concerned expression. " _Are you alright?"_

"Yeah I'm fine, bud, thank you. It's just...everyone really hates me and wants me to leave. That feeling really hurts." Toothless understood. Hiccup would rant to him every afternoon in the cove about how terribly he was treated. On countless occasions he had desperately wanted to rip apart everyone and anyone who has ever caused his human distress. It had taken all the self control in him not to tear Hiccup's two tormentors into shreds right there and then. Said bullies were now restrained and unconscious, lying on the ground of the cove, awaiting judgement. Toothless rested his head on Hiccup's knees and rumbled softly, offering his presence as solace and comfort.

"Thank you bud. I'm really grateful for you, I don't know where I'll be without you. I don't know _what_ I'll be without you..."

 _"Likewise."_ That was true. Toothless had no memory of his family or life before Hiccup showed up, it was just endless slavery under the tyrannical queen.

Yet, there was some regret in Hiccup, something that has been nagging at him for a long time.

"Toothless, I'm so, so sorry for shooting you down that night. I robbed you of your ability to fly..the most precious thing to a dragon..and that's really, really selfish of me."

Toothless snorted, and smacked Hiccup lightly with his ear flap. _"And you restored it, too."_ Toothless gestured at his prosthetic tail. _"Stop being so harsh on yourself Hiccup." We wouldn't have met if not for that too._ Hiccup seemed to understand exactly what he said.

"Thank you for forgiving me bud."

 _"I have forgiven you since a long, long time ago silly."_ The black dragon crooned and gazed at his rider fondly. _"I have much to thank you for, too."_ Hiccup felt the corners of his lips curl upwards as he wrapped his thin arms around his dragon's neck. For a while they just sat there in silence, enjoying each other's company, watching the clouds flutter about in the sky.

Hiccup let his mind drift to the implications of his departure. "Everyone would be so happy when I leave," he thought. "Finally, no more destruction, no more _useless_ burden. And..what would my father think? Would..would he even miss me?"

"Probably not." Hiccup thought bitterly. Despite being treated poorly, he wanted everyone in his village to be happy. He considered whether his departure would bring distress and dismay to anyone, and concluded that it would not, with mixed feelings of sadness and resignation. Hiccup then recalled he was the chief's son, his supposed _heir_. If he left just like that, won't it be irresponsible of him? "Pfft, not like he was going to make _me_ chief anyway. Might as well let _Snotlout_ be chief, I'm sure he'll do a _fantastic_ job at diplomacy." He thought with an added hint of sarcasm.

Hiccup then wondered yet again about whether _Toothless_ had actually wanted to leave. He knew his loyal friend cared a great deal about him, and if Hiccup wanted to leave he would without a doubt follow him, no matter where Hiccup chose to go. Yet Hiccup cared deeply for Toothless too, and really did not wish to force this decision upon his dragon. He did not need to ask Toothless this time though. He knew perfectly well how his dragon yearned for the skies, how he shared the same thirst for adventure and the same sickness of this island. He could also sense that the dragon has been feeling rather forlorn lately. Granted, he enjoyed Hiccup's company and friendship a great deal, and night furies are generally a solitary species, but deep down Hiccup knew that Toothless desired presence of his own kind too. _Friendly_ presence. "Who knows, maybe we will even find another night fury out there." Hiccup thought aloud with a grin. _Yes, that'd be really nice._ Toothless found himself smiling involuntarily at that thought.

"Very well, then, probably for the best that we got on our way soon bud." But where will he go? Where _can_ he go? How will he survive? Hiccup was immensely glad that he had Toothless. The black dragon not only provides emotional strength and support, but also physical protection. _Really_ good physical protection. When someone as scrawny as Hiccup is out in the wild, having a _Night Fury_ watching his back really boosts his chances of survival exponentially. In all truth, Toothless was only 14, an adolescent dragon who was far from fully grown, yet he was already 6 feet tall, 16 feet long, with wings spanning an impressive 32 feet. Large for his age, and he hasn't even finished growing.

The sun began to dip slowly beyond the horizon, signalling that it was getting late soon. Sighing at the sheer beauty of the sunset before his eyes, which has never ceased to amaze him, Hiccup realised that it was time he started preparing for his departure. A stir and a muffled groan coming from the cove below suggested two more problems he had to deal with, at least for the time being. Hiccup climbed onto Toothless as they slowly glided back down to the ground of the cove. He already had a plan. He would use the cover of night to prepare whatever belongings he needed to bring along to survive, and would make his departure from the island before dawn, ensuring they would not be spotted.

Hiccup noted with interest that both of his bullies, now squirming in the ropes securing them, have regained consciousness from the earlier scare, at the same time amused that both their eyes, so used to being filled with infuriating smugness and mischief, were now occupied with a mix of anger, helplessness and fear. The change in power made Hiccup feel good, although he was nowhere near their level of cruelty and had no intentions in making their lives miserable, at least not outside of what was necessary.

"Let. Us. Go, _Hiccup_! Or you'll REGRET IT for the entire of your wretched and miserable life! I swear, the things I'll do to you if you don't let me go right now..you'll wish you were never born! (Followed by a string of expletives)" threatened Snotlout. Hiccup raised an eyebrow, daring to stare at him directly in the eye for the first time ever, and sauntered over, sitting down cross legged in front of him.

"Really, Snotlout. I get that your ego is bigger than your brain, but do you _really_ think you're in a position to threaten me? Or rather, threaten my _dragon_?" A timid peek at said dragon by Snotlout was met with a fierce snarl, causing him to almost squeak in fear. Tuffnut just had a look of absolute horror contorted onto his features, and looked like he had probably crapped his pants.

"Whatever, Hiccup. _Please_ just release us, and we _promise_ we'll treat you _wayy_ better in future. We won't even tell on you and your dragon. Deal?" Hiccup almost laughed out loud. What, did they think he was foolish enough to trust them? Did they think his brain was as big as a peanut? Hiccup pretended to ponder about this for a moment, and just when Snotlout appeared slightly hopeful, he shook his head. Snotlout deflated and appeared resigned.

"Fine, fine. Tell you what. Since I regard myself as a really nice person, and do not share the same desire to torture others as you, I'll be nice to you, and just pretend to forget that you have made the past 14 years of my life _hell_. You two will remain restrained here till dawn. Just before I leave, I will release you. By then, even if anyone back in the village were to believe your _incredible_ tale, I'll be long gone. Sounds great?" Hiccup said.

"Until dawn? That means we'll spend the whole damn night freezing out here?"

"I'm tempted to say yes, but since I'm nice I'll be nice till the end. Alright, I'll ask Toothless to make you a fire." The night fury perked up his ears and rolled his eyes, warbling something incoherent.

"I think that meant he plans to roast you over the fire and eat you." Hiccup said in Kock solemnity, breaking out into a chuckle as their faces turned white.

"Wai...wait, you..you said, _leave_?"Tuffnut finally mustered his courage to say something.

"Yes, leave. I'm leaving this place. Thank Thor, I'm leaving you two. Can't possibly imagine how much better my life would be without your torments and the whole of Berk's displeasure." He was shot an incredulous look and rolled his eyes.

"What, you really thought I'll stay after you discovering my dragon? I was already planning of getting the heck out of this place before you came along, and now I'm even more certain." The duo kept quiet, and for the first time ever, appeared thoughtful. But Hiccup didn't have the time and energy to find out what they were thinking.

"Whatever, I'll go get ready. You two have fun. I'll see you in a few hours." Hiccup wondered for a second if their parents would get worried, then figured out that each may probably think that their child was at the other's home. The two frequently stayed over in each other's homes, spending late nights discussing all sorts of things, ranging from who can break the most rocks with their heads in a minute, to who can come up with the best idea to prank or bully Hiccup. In any case, the two frequently came home late anyways, with their families always fast asleep by that time. He was certain no one would detect their absence. But what about his _own_ absence? Will his father notice? Hiccup was hit by a pang of sadness. Recently, Stoick has been barely acknowledging his own son's presence, and Hiccup figured that Stoick would probably not care a single bit if he had not returned home. Hiccup realised that Stoick has been concealing his disappointment and embarrassment in having a son like him under the mask of tribe leadership, busying himself with all sorts of village chores so he will not have to deal with Hiccup. With a sad sigh, Hiccup knew it no longer mattered. He would be gone in a few hours anyway, away from this miserable life of. He set up a small fire, piling splintered firewood and getting help from a reluctant Toothless in the form of a stream of plasma flame.

"Keep an eye on them, bud. But don't eat them." Hiccup chided jokingly. "I'll be back soon, see you later." He embraced his black dragon tightly, once again taking comfort in his warmth against the chilly night. By this time, nearly the whole of Berk would be asleep. Time to make his move.

* * *

Hiccup's first stop was the forge. The front entrance was locked, but Hiccup entered the back door leading to his own little room quietly and with ease, ensuring no one had spotted him. He surveyed the room, and realised that he will miss this place too. Considering the hours he had spent here, shedding blood, sweat and tears, it was rather significant and held sentimental value. With a sigh, Hiccup gathered all his sketches, prototype designs and his idea notebooks scattered on the workbench and packed them into a sack. He then picked up a few tools, including a carving knife. Vacating the small room, he proceeded on to the main forge. Hiccup wished he could carry the whole forge with him, so he could build and create things anywhere and anytime he wanted. Glancing around, he wanted to see if there was anything useful he could bring along and figured that there was really nothing much. He decided it'd be great if he could find a weapon for himself, just in case he ever found himself separated from Toothless, but almost all of them were too heavy for him. In the end, he settled with a small sheathed 14 inch dagger. Nothing too special about its design or function, but in dire situations it would make a decent weapon, at least one Hiccup was physically able to wield. Finding nothing else suitable to carry with him on his journey, Hiccup closed the back door to the forge as he took in probably one of his last views of the place.

Hiccup then headed back to his own home, a large, tall house situated at the top of a hill. Fitting for a chief, he supposed, who was probably fast asleep by now. As he pushed the door open slowly, he winced at the creaking, but the thunderous snoring that could be heard within assuaged his worries. As stealthily as he could, Hiccup made his way upstairs and into his room, closing the door behind him shut. He worked with an increased haste. He once again gathered his sketches (mostly of Toothless and some of other dragons) and notebooks. Spotting his breast-hat helmet sitting on the table, he grabbed it and placed it in his sachet too. Opening his wardrobe, he retrieved a few spare sets of clothes and some warm furs for winter. But he was here mainly for the two chests beneath his bed. Dragging one out, he unlocked it and within, lay precious gems, jewels and coins of all sorts in abundance. These had been amassed over the years. Apparently when Hiccup was born, almost all of the Vikings sent gifts to the chief as well wishes. _Bet they really regret it now, ha._ Hiccup thought. But it had been a decent amount of treasure. The rest had been gifts from his parents when he was little, which Hiccup had never used. Hiccup figured that he would eventually still need to deal with human contact, and when that happens he'll need something to trade and survive. He emptied all the contents in his chest into another sachet, and surprisingly the weight was still manageable. Heavy, but manageable.

Hiccup dragged out the other smaller chest, this one weighing slightly lighter. Opening it, he was met with a pool of pure, solid black. It held within shiny, obsidian scales belonging to Toothless. Over the past two month, on some afternoons spent at the cove, Hiccup had been collecting the scales shed by his night fury friend. He had also been running some tests on them. The scales were light, yet extremely hard and strong, even diamond could not scratch it. As expected, they were highly fireproof, and even Toothless' own plasma heat could barely damage it. Hiccup came to find that they were likely extremely useful in the long run. In any case, he did not want to leave behind too much evidence of his dragon's presence. Hiccup emptied all the scales into his sachet as well. With that done, Hiccup was ready to depart. He had everything he needed ready. He exited his room, and made his way downstairs. He was tempted to enter his father's room and say a goodbye but he resisted that thought. Instead, he returned back upstairs to his room, grabbed a quill and parchment, and began writing..

* * *

Hiccup had successfully made his way back to the cove undetected, met by an eager and excited Toothless. Hiccup chuckled as Toothless bumped his shoulder, sniffed at the sachets he was carrying, and looked at him suspiciously. He gazed up into the clear night sky and marvelled at the beauty of those billions of twinkling stars shining above. There was now less than an hour left till dawn and that meant they'll have to leave soon. Hiccup walked over to the duo, who were snoring and fast asleep, shaking them awake, notifying them of their imminent release. With his dagger, he sliced through their ropes.

"You can go back to the village now. Goodbye, probably forever." _But who knows_. When met with uncertain and skeptical glances, Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Or my dragon can take you back in his mouth." Immediately they scrammed as though running for their lives, without looking back at all. _Well, that's probably the last I see them_ , thought Hiccup, who was more than pleased with that prospect. Walking over to Toothless, he attached and secured his sachets to the saddle.

"Is it too heavy bud?" Toothless snorted and smacked him.

 _"Question my strength again and I'll eat you."_ He made a rumbling sound that sounded like laughter. Hiccup mounted the saddle, clicking his foot in place. Toothless shook and slowly unfurled his mighty black wings. They were ready for take off. Hiccup patted his dragon's neck.

"Take us to the skies, bud." With that, Toothless did a vertical ascent before falling back and gliding slowly around the cove, one last time. This is a place they were both going to miss, _a lot_. They glided above the village of Berk, one last time.

"Goodbye, Berk."

With that, they spun around and turned their back on the island they had grown to be so familiar with. The majestic sun was just beginning to rise, as they soared towards the horizon, and _beyond_.

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 **Things are only going to get more exciting from here! Thank you for reading, and remember to follow, favourite and REVIEW! ;) Reviewers get a shoutout and a cookie.**

 **Also, I strongly recommend all of you to check out mathmonkey167's stories! She is an _amazing_ writer, whose stories have influenced and inspired me :") Definitely worth a read!**

 **Peace out and see you soon 3**


	7. Chapter 7-Discovery

_**Hey guys! So sorry for the wait. Took a bit of careful planning and suffered some delays but I'm back now :) Thank you for your patience and enjoy Chapter 7!**_

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As chief, Stoick the Vast stirred before the sun rose, just like always. Yawning majestically, he was loudly making his way down the stairs before he stopped. The atmosphere in the house felt...odd, silent, too eerily silent. Not that Hiccup ever made any noice when he slept, but it just felt..different. "Hiccup?" He called out. He was hoping to be gone before his son awoke, to avoid conversation, but this time something compelled him to check. Just for the sake of it, he thought grumpily. He was never the kind of father who would affectionately wake his son up every morning, but deep down a part of him still cared a little.

The door was slightly ajar. Strange, he thought. He pushed it open, and came face to face with..nothing. No one. The bed was empty. "Aha! For once, Hiccup woke up early! Guess tha' kid is finally shaking his laziness off, eh?" Stoick thought aloud joyfully. He was about to get on his way when he noticed something amiss. Hiccup's table was oddly..clean. Surely, Hiccup had gotten down to tidying his room? Stoick pondered. His hopes were shattered into smithereens as he picked up the single piece of canvas that lay on the bare table.

-

A rumble from Toothless sent Hiccup's head shooting straight up. A sleepless night of preparation had taken a toll on him, as he found himself dozing off involuntarily more often than he would've liked. "Sun just rose..huh?" A glance at the sun gave away. At most, Hiccup calculated, two hours had elapsed since they had departed Berk and flown east. A wave of guilt struck Hiccup. He had been resting while Toothless has been flying for two hour straight!

"How're ya doing, bud?" Hiccup gently patted the black dragon's head. A soft warble assured Hiccup his friend was holding up, but he could observe from the occasional trembles in Toothless' magnificent wings that even he was getting tired. "Alright bud, lets find ourselves a place to take a break." Toothless dipped down and emerged from the thick cloud layer. To their dismay, there was no island in sight. Surely, they had passed a few potential islands, but Hiccup did not wish to remain too near Berk. The further the better, he thought, so no one could find him even if they tried. _Would they even try_? Hiccup thought bitterly. A large cloud drifted into them and Toothless dove into it, enjoying the moisture and coolness. Moments, even before they emerged, the silhouette of a looming island could be seen. _Finally_.

-

'To whom should I address my words? Dad? Stoick? _Chief_? I no longer know. I remember when I was younger, you used to spend so much time with me, chatting with me, always saying how great and strong I will become in future. Yet as time passed, you gave up on me. I see it now. I see that disappointment in your eyes, every time I did something that you weren't pleased about, even though all I ever wanted to do was to help. I see the thoughts going through your thick skull. You must be thinking all the time, "Oh Thor, what sins have I done to deserve such a weak, skinny son? Such a _useless heir_ unworthy of succeeding me, the great Stoick the Vast?"

Well, don't worry, _Dad_. I'm out of your way now. You won't need to be ashamed of me anymore. The disgrace and village runt will be out of everyone's way. Rejoice, celebrate! I know everyone would. No one has ever appreciated me, nor at the very least showed some _kindness_. Not even you.

So thanks for keeping alive over the past 15 years, through gritted teeth I do admit you deserve that much credit. But that's all you get, because you and everyone else have made me dead inside. Goodbye forever, _Dad_. Hope you'll find yourself _happier_ when I'm gone.

-Hiccup, your " _son"_.'

The mighty hands of the mighty chief, capable of pulverising boulders and dragon skulls, trembled uncontrollably as the canvas slipped from them.

-

Hiccup and Toothless took in the majestic scene before their eyes. It was half the size of Berk, but twice the majesty. The island was simply magnificent. Lush green cover, a sapphire blue lake, a few towering peaks, canyons and gorges, the island almost had it all. _The perfect place to rest_. Toothless didn't need Hiccup's cue as he spiralled down towards the island's glaringly white beach.

One moment, the black dragon was frolicking delightfully on the soft, fine sand, stretching his sore wings and the next, he was splashing about in the cool blue shallows. Hiccup lazed under a palm tree offering luxurious shade, smiling at his friend, who bounded back up to his side. 5 minutes since contact and they were already in love with this place. A thought struck Hiccup. "Why not make it our new home? What do you say bud?" A hearty warble affirmed his desires. It was probably the best place possible; the island was absolutely elysian and surprisingly seemed uninhabited, which was for the best, at least before Hiccup can ascertain that whichever human civilisation they encounter eventually will be friendly to his dragon companion.

"Home it shall be then." Hiccup thought and smiled dreamily. There was so much they could do on the island! As an inquisitive explorer, discovering uncharted lands and exploring them was simply too exhilarating for Hiccup. For Toothless, Hiccup was sure there would be plenty of wild dragons around, hopefully some would be friendly and approachable enough.

They have discovered the place where they will start anew.

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 **Hope you enjoyed it :) I'm really excited for the many more coming your way! If you have any ideas on where to take this story, I wanna hear it, so do review :D**


	8. Chapter 8-Search

**Hey guys! I'm back ;) Sorry for the wait, here's Chapter 8!**

 **Chapter 8-Search**

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Stoick could not describe how he felt. Anger? Sorrow? Regret? Disappointment? Probably all.

First, anger. "How dare tha' lil brat make _me_ feel guilty for _his_ own weakness?! Like I'm at fault because he's too weak to protect himself?"

Then, regret. "But..I..I did this? I drove my own, one and only son away? Is it really my fault..? How..how can I face Valka?" Stoick pondered over Hiccup's words, which resonated again and again in his head.

"No, it cant be. Where can he even go? He couldn't have stolen a boat! He must still be on the island!" That thought energised Stoick. His son was going nowhere. He will need a proper lecture when he comes back. _If_ he comes back? No, _when_ he comes back.

"SPITELOUT!" He bellowed for his second in command. "I want three search teams to scour the island, RIGHT NOW! Find Hiccup and bring him to me!"

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Meanwhile, Hiccup was so far away the fastest ship would take five whole days to reach. He trudged through the lush undergrowth of a dense forest, which led further inland from the beach and had a small stream running through it. The journey through the forest was surprisingly pleasant. The scent was nice, beautiful flowers adorned green bushes and once in a while, a rustle in the bushes would startle Toothless, making his ear flaps lie flat and crouching into a hostile stance. Normally, either a Terrible Terror or an adorable squirrel will emerge; the former is no threat, while the latter is barely prey. On several occasions, they even spotted herds of deer or wild boars. Both were pleased by this as it meant they won't have to worry about food for any time soon.

Toothless spent most of his journey chasing after butterflies, while Hiccup held a charcoal stick in one hand and sketchbook in the other, trying his best to map the route they were traversing. "Soon I would map the whole island, then the archipelago, then the world!" He thought enthusiastically. Throughout their journey, they did not manage to spot any larger wild dragons. While Toothless couldn't wait to meet new friends, Hiccup was more keen on settling down before getting roasted or snapped at by potential hostile dragons.

Soon, they emerged from the forest into a vast area. The scene before them was picturesque, a scene taken straight out of Valhalla. A sapphire blue lake lay before them, serene and peaceful, mirroring the skies and mountains. Oh, the mountains. Flanking the lake on both sides were grassy plains, which lay at the foot of two snow-capped mountain ranges that stretched upwards towards the sky and into the clouds. On the far end of the lake was a towering waterfall, whose grandiose left Hiccup gaping in awe. They were effectively in a spacious, majestic valley. Hiccup stood with his mouth agape for a minute or so. Growing up, he has never before witnessed such a sight, which beauty surpassed even that of the cove back on Berk. _If only the vikings of Berk knew how much they were missing out on_. Hiccup smirked.

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At the moment, most of said vikings were trudging through forests as well-those on Berk. Many grumbled and complained as they endured the stuffy weather, searching high and low for Hiccup. It was apparent that not many liked Hiccup at all, and found it an absolute waste of time to be spending so much effort searching for him. "Good riddance eh, might as well never be found." One could be heard saying. Many echoed the sentiment. After several hours, all of the search groups gave up and returned empty handed.

Stoick was not handling it very well. "WHAT do you mean you cannot find him? Hiccup has to be on this island! He couldn't have grown wings and flown away, eh?"

"Chief, we checked every corner of this island. No signs of him." The chief was frustrated. Deep down..he knew he still cared a little for his son. A large part of him was buried under disappointment, and now, anger that Hiccup had vanished so suddenly and irresponsibly. No, he would not be the chief with a runaway child. He will find his son back, and punish him until he has learnt his lesson. _But how?_ Surely, his peers may have some idea. With that thought, he sent for the gang.

Shortly after, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs and the twins all stood before the chief. Facing the grim looking chief, all were noticeably nervous, although some more so than others. Fishlegs was meek and timid as usual, Ruffnut looking not particularly bothered but still averting his gaze, and while Astrid looked up at the chief, her eyes reflected less of her normal fiery pride and more of a thoughtful glint. Snotlout and Tuffnut, on the other hand, looked very disturbed, examining their boots with sudden interest.

"So, I'm sure you know why I called you here. I'll go straight to the point. Has anyone seen Hiccup?"

Stoick was not upset at all by the fact that these were the teens who had caused his son misery, and may even be the very reason for his disappearance. He merely thought that since they hung out together so often, they would know where Hiccup was. "No, chief. I haven't seen Hiccup since yesterday afternoon." Came Astrid's reply. The rest meekly shook their head at the question and nodded fervently to agree with Astrid. Snotlout and Tuffnut hesitated for a moment, before cautiously shaking their heads.

This did not go unnoticed by Stoick. "Snotlout, have you seen your cousin around?"

Snotlout bit his lip, ponder for half a moment, before hesitantly shaking his head again.

"I won't ask another time! Have you two seen Hiccup?"

Tuffnut was the first to respond. "It was the black dragon!" He blurted.

"What black dragon?" Stoick's heart skipped a beat. A dragon attacked Hiccup?

"Hiccup trained this..this night..night fury! Scary as hel, nearly ate the two of us alive! He said he was leaving Berk!" Snotlout continued.

"NONSENSE! How could one even _train_ a dragon? And a _Night fury_? No one has even seen tha beast before!" Stoick exclaimed. _Utter nonsense_ , he thought. They think this is a _joke_?

"It's true! We swear on our lives chief!" Snotlout exclaimed sincerely. In that moment, Stoick remembered that fateful day a few months ago. The dragon raid, where Hiccup claimed he had shot down a dragon. "A night fury..that vanished past..Raven's Point?" His heart skipped a beat again. _Could it be true?_ He didn't know, but it was the best lead they have been given thus far. There was only one way to find out. He stomped out of the Mead Hall, shouting for a team of men to follow him to Raven's Point.

As the chief departed, while the teens heaved a sigh of relief, Astrid espied a piece of crumpled parchment lying on the chief's throne. Picking it up and reading it, her expressions warped and changed. She grabbed Snotlout's collar and demanded, "What you said, is it true?" Snotlout nodded meekly. Releasing him, she grabbed her axe and strode out of the hall without another word.

Astrid headed for the forest, into the small clearing she always used to train or clear her mind. With a powerful swing, her axe flew from her hands and sunk straight into a tree trunk. She was frustrated. So if everything was true..Hiccup had left Berk because of them? Astrid knew she barely had a part to play in the bullying, but neither did she ever treat Hiccup well. She didn't consider herself as an emotional or empathetic individual, but this got her thinking. Stepping forward to retrieve her axe, Astrid noticed that it was exceptionally difficult to pull out from the tree. Examining the axe, she noticed it had sunk 4 inches deeper into the trunk than normal. _Strange_. She was sure she didn't grow that much muscles.

"So what made the diff.. _oh_." She noticed there was something very different with her axe. First, the blade. It was so much sharper. Then, the steel reinforcement on the axe head. Then, the runes on the axe handle. They were beautiful. "Who could have made this..?" The name popped into her head. _Hiccup_.

This made Astrid feel even worse. _He_ did this for her? This was beyond taking a further step. This was exceptional work that took extraordinary effort and time. _Why_ would he do this for her? For the first time, Astrid was confused and troubled. But when she remembered that Hiccup had left them, on a _dragon_ nonetheless, anger resurged.

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Needless to say, Hiccup was utterly amazed, and thanked the gods for blessing them and chancing upon this paradise. Thorough exploration could come later. They first needed to find a place to rest and permanently serve as shelter. They really wouldn't mind staying in this elysian paradise forever and enjoy the tranquility, away from troublesome human contact. Hiccup figured that a cave would be the best candidate for shelter, warmth and safety, a place where he could store his possessions, at least. Not like he had any idea how to build a house. "The mountains would probably have some nice cozy caves..but it's way too cold up there." He squinted and gestured to the distant snowy peaks. "I guess we'll have to explore a bit huh bud. And find our home." Toothless shrugged.

The duo made their way around the serene lake, trekking along the grassy plains. The frequent ripples on the lake's surface did not go unnoticed by Toothless. He was wildly excited, as ripples meant plenty of fish. Big ripples meant big fish too. He couldn't resist, bounded up to the edge of the lake and stalked for a few moments. In a flash, his head dipped down and when it emerged two carps were trapped between his teeth. Hiccup rolled his eyes and strolled on, while his heart prayed fervently that his dragon would not spit out half a fish head generously for him. The rather strong breezes in this spacious valley ruffled Hiccup's hair, and before long it was in a mess. Not that he minded, the breeze was so comfortable against the scorching midday sun.

Their journey on this side of the lake took longer than expected, as the pair scoured the bases of mountain ranges for suitable shelters. Much to Hiccup's dismay, they did not find a desirable one. They eventually reached the far end of the lake, the foot of the magnificent waterfall, and dusk was less than an hour away. The waterfall was likely their last hope to find shelter before sunset, as time did not allow a round trip to be made along the other side of the waterfall. But what shelter could a waterfall offer? Obviously none. Hiccup frowned and pondered hard, about how they would find a temporary shelter to last the chilly night. As he was deep in thought, he felt a bump on his waist and a warble. Turning, he saw Toothless gesturing eagerly at something..a path! A narrow, winding, sloping path was camouflaged almost perfectly against the surface of the waterfall cliff. He would not have spotted it if not for his dragon's keen vision. There was only one way to find out where it led.

"Let's go check it out bud." They headed towards the slope and ascended it. To his surprise, Hiccup realized that the path brought them _behind_ the waterfall. " _Wow_." They went higher and higher, until the path suddenly disappeared. Peering out from behind the cascading water, Hiccup realized they were almost at the summit of the waterfall. Looking back at where the path ended, a wave of disappointment flooded over him. "Seriously? That's where this path leads?" Hiccup could not help but feel deceived. He was staring at nothing. Thick vines covered the rocky walls of the waterfall cliff surface. There was nothing. No caves, no nothing, just vines and rocks. He slumped down in resignation against the wall, but nothing could prepare him for the shock as he instantly fell backwards.

"Wha...? Oh." He had thought it was another vine covered rock surface, but this one was in fact hollow. It was a hole concealed by the vines, which had grown so thick that no one could have told that there was in fact a large opening in the rock wall's surface. A cave. Feeling a surge of revitalizing energy, Hiccup jumped to his feet. Peeling apart the draping vines, he stepped into a dark void, save for the minimal sunlight seeping through the vine curtain. He did not have to worry too long as his dragon stepped through the opening (large enough to fit). Toothless opened his jaws and a violet blue glow emanated from deep within his throat, bright enough to instantly fill the void with light. Hiccup was in fact pleasantly surprised by this ability of his dragon, noting to himself that there was much more to learn about the night fury species.

As it turned out, the cave was huge. The atrium they were standing in could easily fit over ten dragons; even the ceiling was surprisingly high. Doing a quick sweep of the vicinity, nothing seemed amiss or extraordinary, and thankfully no vicious dragons or creatures concealed in the darkness either. The cave was bare, save for a pile of large boulders stacked in a corner, which Hiccup ignored. He was grateful that they had found this cave. It was so spacious, and definitely had much potential to be crafted into the perfect new shelter for the both of them.

Hiccup unloaded his belongings from Toothless, upon which the dragon stretched his sore back and yawned. He laid out his sachets, one containing the obsidian scales and the other valuable coins and jewels, as well as his clothes and furs, in one cozy corner of the cave. Putting on his brown leather jacket and strapping on his dagger, Hiccup realized it was almost sunset. He suddenly felt like going on a flight with Toothless, and his companion couldn't be any more eager. Emerging from the cave onto the ledge outside, Hiccup saddled up on took off on the dragon.

They spiraled skywards, feeling the blast of the wind on their faces, before free-falling and rocketing towards the ground. Only when a few meters above ground did Toothless spread his wings and glided back upwards. The black dragon was so good at these stunts. All these synchronized flawlessly with the tail gears controlled by Hiccup. Gliding in the skies above the valley, they bore witness to the breathtaking sunset, which shone a brilliant splendor of orange and decorated the skies with reddish pink clouds. They were held in a trance for several moments, and it took a great deal of self-control for them to resist chasing after the dipping sun on the horizon. As the sun dipped beyond the horizon, they circled the skies a few more times before landing on a ledge at the peak of the waterfall. The first few stars have already emerged, dotting the darkening sky with their defiant radiance.

Hiccup dismounted and sat legs stretched beside his dragon, watching the final disappearing glow of the sun. He was contented. Such a beautiful sight has been witnessed by few in history. It was getting dark, and with a pang, Hiccup realised this was going to be the first night spent away from home. From _Berk_ , he meant. With darkness looming, Hiccup ought to feel afraid and lonely, but he was not. He knew Toothless would have his back no matter what. No average predator could stand up to a night fury, so Hiccup did not have to worry about any carnivorous predators sneaking up on him. Leaning against his companion's wings, Hiccup was at peace.

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 **So that was Chapter 8! Hope you guys enjoyed it, and really more are coming your way ;) Do remember to review and follow~ Love y'all!**


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